From Rob Thomas, the creator of the television series and movie phenomenon Veronica Mars, comes the first book in a thrilling mystery series that picks up where the feature film left off.

Ten years after graduating from high school in Neptune, California, Veronica Mars is back in the land of sun, sand, crime, and corruption. She’s traded in her law degree for her old private investigating license, struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat on the scant cash earned by catching cheating spouses until she can score her first big case.

Now it’s spring break, and college students descend on Neptune, transforming the beaches and boardwalks into a frenzied, week-long rave. When a girl disappears from a party, Veronica is called in to investigate. But this is no simple missing person’s case; the house the girl vanished from belongs to a man with serious criminal ties, and soon Veronica is plunged into a dangerous underworld of drugs and organized crime. And when a major break in the investigation has a shocking connection to Veronica’s past, the case hits closer to home than she ever imagined.

In Veronica Mars, Rob Thomas has created a groundbreaking female detective who’s part Phillip Marlowe, part Nancy Drew, and all snark. With its sharp plot and clever twists, The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line will keep you guessing until the very last page.

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Reviews

Rated 5 out of
5 by
mmellymel3 from
Veronica Mars Superfan!!As a HUGE Veronica Mars fan I've watched all three seasons tons of times, was ecstatic when the movie came out, and then felt saddened that it was over.. until I found out about the book. I bought it and immediately started reading it. I absolutely loved how true to Veronica's character the book remained and how much the book sucked me in and kept me wanting more. I cannot wait for the next book to come out and I anticipate that any time a Veronica Mars book comes out I will be going through it in no time.

Date published: 2014-07-08

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Heather from
Excellent addition to the Veronica Mars Universe!I am a huge fan of the original Veronica Mars CW Series that aired from 2004-2007. Sadly there were only three seasons and I was left wanting more and trying to find other series to fill the void. Then thanks to Kickstarter us fans got a movie! This seemed to open up the Veronica Mars universe again and, thus, this book series begins.
This is the first book in the series (how long it will be I do not know) and follows up right after the movie. If you have not watched the movie yet there will be spoilers in the book (you have been warned lol). This book is true to the characters and the universe. The major players are all in it (or mentioned) - including some that we haven't seen since or heard from since the beginning of the TV series (don't worry I wont spoil who). Veronica is still the smart, sarcastic girl (or I guess woman now) I know and love from the series and the movie. The thing that did disappoint me with the characters - and it is minor - there was very little involvement with Keith (her father) and, therefore, less banter. I loved her relationship with Keith and the daily banter between them and it was just lacking in this book. Yes it happens but there was a fair amount of tension between them so there was less interaction and bouncing of ideas that had happens in the TV series. That being said, the new characters that were brought in for the book were interesting, although there were few we interacted with. The descriptions of the characters were perfect. If found that I could picture exactly how they were suppose to look - grease old man, creepy drug minion, OCD University jock - the details in their description and actions painted a nice (or not so nice) picture.
Now for the plot. It doesn't vary too far from the TV series or the movie in that sense - but why should it. A highly respected business woman on the town counsel comes in to hire Keith to find a missing girl but instead hires Veronica. Veronica then has to do all the leg work for the Sheriff's department by finding out where the girl is and who took her. The case evolves, she sticks her nose in various dangerous situations in order to find as much evidence as she can, and usually gets in a little bit of trouble. Honest the formula works. There are some twists and turns throughout the story, but they weren't as big as I was expecting. I had some theories throughout the book about could have possibly happened and where it was going next - I was partially right. So if you've watched the series or the movie then it's likely you know the formula and you may be able to figure out a twist or two - but it was still a fun ride!
As a mystery book on its own merits, it was pretty good. The characters and story was well written and I believe it was interesting enough that most readers wouldn't want to put it down. As a part of the Veronica Mars universe, I loved it! Perfect fit! After I had watched the movie I was sad, it ended too quickly (being only 1 hour, 50 minutes long) and made me crave the TV series, but this book filled the void. I got my Veronica fix and I was really entertained by it. Thomas and Graham stayed true to the characters and how they interact with each other and did the series justice.
I would recommend this book to those who like reading mysteries and those who want to read a book with little to no romance (Veronica has never had a big focus on romance). I HIGHLY recommend this to the Veronica Mars fans of the world! Can't wait for the next book in the series - October is too far away!

Date published: 2014-05-30

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Anonymous from
Great Continuation!This book picks up from where the movie left off and takes you right back into the world built up by 3 seasons of the show. Dialogue is in Veronica's usual snappy style and the mystery has plausible twists and turns that will keep you guessing. Highly recommended for both fans of the show and newcomers alike.

Date published: 2014-05-11

Rated 4 out of
5 by
MelGio from
Pre-order buyerI pre-ordered this, have read about 150 of the 330 pages and its amazing. Definitely hard to put down.

Date published: 2014-04-21

– More About This Product –

Veronica Mars: An Original Mystery By Rob Thomas: The Thousand-dollar Tan Line

The following ISBNs are associated with this title:

ISBN - 10: 0804170703

ISBN - 13: 9780804170703

Read from the Book

CHAPTER TWO Traffic was already a nightmare by the time Veronica dropped her dad off at home and headed back out toward Mars Inves­tigations. Spring break had descended on Neptune in all its bacchanalian glory, and even though the worst of it choked the beaches and boardwalks, the party had spread inland, creeping up through the commercial districts and the historic downtown blocks. The drunk and disoriented glutted the bars, restaurants, and shops all over town, even at noon on a Monday. It’d already been going on for more than a week, and it wouldn’t slow up until mid­-April—there were hundreds of colleges within driving distance, each with its own spring break dates. Veronica glanced in her rearview mirror. Traffic stretched as far as she could see, motionless in the sun. The sidewalks were crawling with undergrads, shouting at their friends, lifting glass bottles in impromptu toasts. Apparently Neptune’s public consumption laws were being selectively enforced. But that was par for the course during the three-­week spring break season—money talked in Neptune, and no one heard it louder or clearer than Sheriff Dan Lamb. He spent most of the year chasing “undesirables” (translation: anyone flirting with the poverty line) off the streets, only to turn a blind eye to binge­-drinking eighteen­-year­-olds descending en masse. Someone laid on his horn. A girl with feather hair extensions leaned down into the gutter to vomit, then straightened up and kept walking as if nothi

From the Publisher

From Rob Thomas, the creator of the television series and movie phenomenon Veronica Mars, comes the first book in a thrilling mystery series that picks up where the feature film left off.

Ten years after graduating from high school in Neptune, California, Veronica Mars is back in the land of sun, sand, crime, and corruption. She’s traded in her law degree for her old private investigating license, struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat on the scant cash earned by catching cheating spouses until she can score her first big case.

Now it’s spring break, and college students descend on Neptune, transforming the beaches and boardwalks into a frenzied, week-long rave. When a girl disappears from a party, Veronica is called in to investigate. But this is no simple missing person’s case; the house the girl vanished from belongs to a man with serious criminal ties, and soon Veronica is plunged into a dangerous underworld of drugs and organized crime. And when a major break in the investigation has a shocking connection to Veronica’s past, the case hits closer to home than she ever imagined.

In Veronica Mars, Rob Thomas has created a groundbreaking female detective who’s part Phillip Marlowe, part Nancy Drew, and all snark. With its sharp plot and clever twists, The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line will keep you guessing until the very last page.

About the Author

Rob Thomas

Rob Thomas is the creator of the television series Veronica Mars and the cocreator of the television series PartyDown. He lives in Austin with his wife and two children. He hasn’t fully recovered from Ray Allen’s three-pointer in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals.

Jennifer Graham

Jennifer Graham graduated from Reed College and received her MFA from the University of Texas at Austin. Her short stories have appeared in The SeattleReview and Zahir. She currently lives in Austin with her husband.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the television series Veronica Mars

A Time, Entertainment Weekly, and Salon Best Show of the Year

“Nancy Drew meets Philip Marlowe, and the result is pure nitro.” —Stephen King

"Best. Show. Ever. Seriously, I've never gotten more wrapped up in a show I wasn't making, and maybe even more than those. . . . These guys know what they're doing on a level that intimidates me. It's the Harry Potter of shows." —Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy and writer/director of Marvel's The Avengers

“Sharp wits, steely nerves, and a wicked sense of humor. . . . This is one TV case we don’t want to see closed.”—USA Today

“It’s what lies deeper that not only makes the show remarkable but what defines it. Mysteries are its central metaphor; Veronica solves little puzzles because she, like all of us, cannot unravel the bigger ones. . . . Filled with deft, glorious wit.” —Entertainment Weekly